


A Little Work Never Killed Nobody (But a Lot Did)

by orphan_account



Series: Shameless exploitation of alexander hamilton's height [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Cuddles, Fluff, Food Deprived, Hamilsquad, Hurt, Hurt hamilton, M/M, Modern AU, Multi, Other, Overworked, Polyamory, Protective Hamilsquad, Short Hamilton, Sleepy Cuddles, Smol Hamilton, alex deserves all the cuddles, insecure, sleep deprived, slightly OC, stabby stab
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-29 15:41:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8495926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Like 3k of ridiculously sweet fluff, with a tiny bit of angst sandwiched between cuddles, literally 'blink-and-you-miss-it" plotHamilton knew his greatest asset was his brains, but when the boys didn't want them, what else did he have to give?





	1. Of Food, Cuddle and Complaints

“… This colony’s economy is increasing stal-“  
The buzzing drone of Alexander’s too-old lamp fizzled out, throwing a blanket of darkness on his room as his murmured reading teetered off. John had been persistently urging him to replace the aged lighting, but his words had fallen upon deaf ears; There were papers to write, articles to edit, research to be done – Hamilton was hardly going to listen to the repetitious and wholly unnecessary mothering of John.  
Until now, that was.

“Laay – Do you have a spare lamp?”

Three heads simultaneously turned towards the stairs as a droopy-eyed Hamilton plodded down them slowly, a knit blanket hastily cast over one shoulder as his only defense against the biting cold. Lafayette slipped from the duvet nest they had created, and in a crooning tone addressed the ruffled boy in front of him;

“Mon petit lion, Cherie, tu es fatiguée.”

“Non non non, j'ai juste besoin de lumière,”

Hercules grinned sadly, eying ever-deepening charcoal smudges beneath Hamilton eyes.

“How about we get some dinner into you first, then we’ll see what Gilbert has in the way of lamps.”

Ignoring the whined protest, Hercules scooped the small boy up, inwardly berating himself for not enforcing meals more as he cradled the too-slim figure.

The boys, Lafayette, Hercules, John and Alexander, had been living together too long for Alex’s weight to still be an issue; The young man, for all his loquaciousness and fevered debating, consumed no food to replenish his apparently inexhaustible amounts of energy, and had erred on the side of just too skinny since the very beginning of their friendship, eating only when forced, and even then it was a struggle, thought John resignedly as he turned the corner.

“-will nOT eat that much, non non non, Arrêtez! Laurens tell him that is too much!"

Alexander was sitting with his legs folded under him on a seat at their kitchen island, dwarfed by an over-sized sweater John presumed was from Lafayette, too-large sleeves narrowly missing Hercules as he flailed, who stood behind Alex, probably holding him down if John was going to be honest; Alexander didn't stay still enough to hold a lengthy conversation, let-a-lone eat.

"You need to eat mon Cherie, even Laurens agrees with me,"

Lafayette thrust the brimming plate at Alexander while he spoke, as if to emphasize a point. Alexander wasn't really sure what that point was, but with all the boys looking at him so earnestly, his mind failed him for any remotely heated retort, rendered useless at the sight of a few pouts.

It wasn't that he was self-conscious, or anything, nothing bad, he just… forgot to eat? Between giving Aaron Burr a verbal thrashing on the College’s online forum (Burr’s pretentious, right-wing bullshit was inevitably flawed – That is when he wasn't swapping sides) and extra credit work, in addition to personal research and the small matter of anonymously helping his boys on their assignments, food just wasn't an option.

At the moment, it was the latter – Lafayette had an economics essay which required a conclusive statement on the country’s economy throughout the ages, and Alexander had been going through transcripts of communication between the founding fathers and cabinet meetings. He just had to do a little more research, then he could bundle it up and mail it back to the apartment for Laf.

He hadn't meant for it to become such a secretive affair, but the boys refused to let him help them after he stayed up for 73 hours making Hercules physiology exam notes, and now none of them told him anything about their due work– It didn't stop him, naturally; The college had a database on each subjects exams and assignments, but it mean when he sent each research bundle, he was the least suspected person, after all, how could he know?

“You okay their ‘Xander, you've gone all quiet?”

Lauren smiled gently as Alexander’s eyes darted up to his, a protest clumsily tripping out of his mouth as he picked up a random piece of food from his plate and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks chubbing up as he started chewing hastily.

A muted thudding noise caught everyone's attention, drawing it away from the adorable sight to Lafayette who grinned apologetically before bending down and snatching the dropped bag of popcorn. Alexander grunted out an inquisitory noise and cocked his head in confusion – He’d not thought they were watching a movie.

“Beauty and the Beast, mon petite lion – You have to watch it with us,”

Alexander burst into a flurry of flapping arms, motioning quickly as he finished his mouthful;

“I REFUSE to watch that BLATANT DISMISSAL of BASIC FRENCH HISTORY and YOU SHOULD TOO you MAD, INSUFFERABLE FRENCHMA-“

His yelling halted abruptly as one of the boys swiped a napkin across his face and another, probably Hercules again, scooped him up, his indignant response to the babying muffled into whichever chest he was curled into.

“Shush, you only have to watch it until John finds his spare lamp, okay? Then we’ll release you from our dastardly clutches.”

Hercules took Alexander’s silence as acceptance and rolled his eyes in relief at Lafayette, who was already in position leaning against the couch, arms outstretched to grab Alex and set him between his legs, carding his hands through the length of Alex's hair as he removed the elastic keeping it in its sloppy pony tail. Shushing any murmurs from the lethargic boy, he started winding the boy’s hair into a braid, drawing his nails in soothing motions through Alex’s hair, and falling into the lull of the pattern, Alexander's warm weight anchoring him pleasantly.

John Lauren's really wished he’d listened to Alexander when packing his old furniture away, and was starting to regret his extreme lack of organization as he inhaled presumably 20 year old dust, mentally congratulating himself as he tugged his old lamp out of a box, wary of the winding strings of spiders webs, and other lurking objects that may lie hidden in the stretched out shadows that patterned the attic floor.

It wasn't the best, he concluded after switching on the light – But it was a fair sight better than the previous lamp his Alex used, how could he even read with such a dim glow, especially the ridiculously loopy and miniature writing of…. George Washington? Giving the papers in front of him a more detailed scan, something coiled and twisted anxiously in John, and gathering up majority of what he was sincerely hoping only looked like research for Lafayette’s essay, he trod heavily down the stairs, his disposition that of a particularly intense storm-cloud.

“Alexander Hamilton why are research papers on _Lafayette’s essay,_ on _your_ desk?”


	2. Of Fights and Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \-- “Alexander Hamilton why are research papers on Lafayette’s essay due in 2 weeks time on your desk?” --

Alex stiffened under Lafayette’s tender ministrations, trying to sit up against the hands that were suddenly curled firmly into the roots of his hair.

“Mon petite lion, que faisiez-vous? Ils n'ont pas pu être pour moi chéri?”

‘J'étais juste curieux, you have to believe me!”

Lafayette loosened his grasp just enough to catch a glimpse of endearingly sincere eyes, lips softened in the beginnings of a pout, and eyebrows furrowed, almost… guiltily?

“Non non non, why, my little lion? You knew I was getting help!

The pout morphed into a dissatisfied scowl,

“wITH JEFFERSON! You could have come to me! You NEVER come to me! I could've helped!”

John stood rooted to the ground, his heart heavy as he saw the firm set of Alex’s shoulders, everything coiled, ready to attack. He didn't want this to be happening right now, whatever this was.

He knew Alex had been working harder than usual lately, longer days turning into longer nights, colour ever so slowly leeching from his face as his eyes drooped, but they'd ignored it, too preoccupied with themselves to notice.

Sharing a hopeless glance with Hercules, he tuned in again to Alexander's protests, his breath escaping him as he heard the break in the high voice, underlying steel as his Alex tried so hard to stay strong as he faced those that had failed him, let him slave away on their work? Reasonably he knew that nothing would stop their little lion, not even the withholding of information; he would always find out- but they could have done more for him, payed more attention, drawn him away from that blasted desk, those stupid papers, that goddamn work, always the work.

“John?”

At the sound of the timid voice, his head shot up and liquid fire seemed to flood through his veins, a hot anger, at himself, at the boy in front of him, at Lafayette and Hercules, anyone and anything that enabled this mess.

“What?” 

he growled out, the monosyllabic word bitten off and harsh,

“Are you… Mad?”

Hercules moved up to John, a restraining hand masked as a supportive gesture, his presence soothing the edges of the raw hurt that ached in John.

“’Xander, you can’t just, just, do that! Yes, John’s angry, we're all angry. You didn't respect our decision at all, to not let you help, we didn't—“ 

Alexanders face dropped into an achingly hurt expression, before setting his eyes and forcing his mouth to twist into something cruel and self-deprecating- 

”--Need me, I get it guys, you didn't need me or want me so how about I just leave!”

Soft wool was shoved into Hercules arms as Alexander stomped past the frozen boys, the flop of the large sweater dropping to the floor shocking them out of their stupor.

“Non non non—“”He can't just"

”He’ll _freeze_ Laurens!”

The windows howled against the wind, a chorus line to Hercules' cry, calling the 3 men into action: the papers that started this all thrown haphazardly in the direction of a table, a sweater scooped off the floor, Lafayette strode up the stairs to acquire scarfs and jackets – Snow was predicted for tonight and as the three men plunged outside, rather than nipping, the cold mauled at their skin, hastily thrown-on beanies acting as another layer of defense against a wall of freezing that they stared searchingly into for their small, inadequately clothed companion.

Buildings loomed over the small figure of Alexander as he strode with a slight lilt, his body starting to curve into itself as the playful cold turn offensive and started driving numbness into his legs, an anger fueled stride morphing into a self-pitying gait.

Alex could offer naught but his words to the boys, his time which he could cram full of work, non-stop paragraphs and research and writing. He was so pathetically small, half the size of the others, useless at almost everything else, so why was he still there? Still taking up room, using more space than necessary? Cluttering up th- his tirade was interrupted by something forcing him to halt, a pain taking root in his side and branching out across his torso.

“Shit, oh god oh god we just stabbed a kid man, holy fu -- man, we gotta go, we gotta go so quick”

Everything was muffled, retreating footsteps blunt against the pavement, echoing through his mind, pain spiking with his pulse, a pressure trying to escape his body at every joint, pushing and pulling as thin wires of pure ice dragged through his body. Dimly he was aware of glittering snow which landed on him, burning through him.

Snow didn’t hurt this much last year, when each of his boys had forced a piece of clothing onto him until he looked like you could roll him up into a snowman himself, pink cheeks framed by wispy curls that had escaped the confines of his beanie. Hercules had thrown the first snowball of that winter, hitting Lafayette mid-step and forcing him to the ground on impact – Then Laurens had pelted Hercules and chaos had descended, the finale, a spectacular team up on Alex before he plonked himself down near the end of the fight, sleepily giggling at the proceedings as he hibernated in his multiple layers.

He didn’t have those layers now, but somehow he was still warm, still able to hear the yells of last year’s snow day —Was that Lafayette’s melodic voice he could hear? Or Laurens round one, that reminded him of orchestras and wood chopping, maybe Hercules' growl that Alex could feel when lying his head on the boys broad chest.  
"No no no my little lion, _what have you done?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French curtesy of Google translate and not my 3 years of French education:  
> Laf : What have you done? Why did you do this my darling?  
> Ham the Man(m) : I was just curious!!
> 
> Guess who's back ,, back again  
> Sorry it gets a lil sad - bUT I tried to retain fluff, just a lil. tELL ME WHAT YOU WANT (watcha really really want) and I shall deliver hopefully


	3. Of Cuddles and a Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \-- "No no no my little lion, what have you done?” --

Footsteps echoed hollowly on speckled blue vinyl before stopping as a stout figure, partially balding, coughed, high and reedy. 

“Your, um, companion, sirs, is awake and asking for you.”

In a flurry of pushing and clattering of chairs, John stumbled narrowly past Hercules, clasping onto Lafayette’s upper arm in a desperate attempt to anchor himself, heart beating unevenly as he turned the corner.

“Alexander?”

Alex’s face perked up, a whimper escaping as he visibly restrained himself from reaching out and desperately fluttering his hands to the men. Hercules tensed as John moved forward, reaching to halt him if Alex asked of it, but instead the boy pushed his head gently into John’s hand hovering uncertainly near his hair.

“C’n I… Can I go home yet, John? I wan’a go home, and forg’t today h’ppened.”

Lafayette crooned slightly as Alex clumsily tripped over words, beyond exhausted, however stepped forward as John gave him a slightly desperate look. 

“Mon amie, we cannot forget today happened – we don’t want you overworking yourself again, Nous devons apprendre de nos erreurs, they bear not repeating.”

Alex whispered hushed promises to stop against John’s hands, which slowly smoothed over furrowed brows and pouting lips, warm puffs of air blown gently over his thumb signally his sleep. Looking at Alex’s face, somehow unhappy even in sleep, he murmured gently as not to wake the sleeping boy;

“We need to take him home, Herc – He’s not happy here.”

An annoying voice becoming all too familiar all too quickly interrupted his pleas;

“With all due respect, he’s just been stabbed, _sirs_ , and is in no condition to go back to a shitty student apartment shared by 3 other lousy college-age men and a host of dise—“

The whining drone of the doctor’s voice cut off as Hercules pivoted to face the man, grabbing him and walking briskly outside, where he started gesticulating wildly on the other side of the glass door.

As they waited, John and Lafayette planned Alex’s return; The stab wound was minor, missing any major... anything, really, all the wound needed was regularly dressing and _rest_ , something both men vowed they would enforce religiously.

As Hercules re-entered the room, he grinned maliciously back at the doctor, who handed over release forms, his face the brilliant colour of prunes.

Their little lion was safe and sound, and this time they weren’t going to let him slip under the radar.

“Really John? We already watched this!”

Alexander pouted from his position, cradled on the legs of Hercules, his back leaning against Lafayette who was once-again braiding his hair, weaving silken strands around each other while murmuring along to Mrs. Pott’s dulcet tones, a coarse beauty to the blend of voices as Alex’s eyes drooped threateningly low.

“You may have, but I missed it, and I was hardly going to deny you the ability to re-watch your favourite?!” 

Lauren’s laughed tapered off into a content sigh as he saw the slow rise and fall of Alex’s chest, Lafayette still braiding gently, the hair still damp from Alex’s earlier bath. Relief melted throughout John at the sight of Alex asleep; While they’d established rigid rules around eating time and restrictions around work, the boy had been horrified at his own inability to stay awake, shunning cushions for the floor in the vain hope it would keep him awake. It never did, of course, one of the boys would scoop him into their lap, or bundle him tightly in a burrito blanket, not letting him leave as he slowly protested less and less, words usually slurring adorably as he weakly tried to resist.

Sharp pain crawled through Alex’s waist, waking him as he shifted on the laps of Lafayette and Hercules. He knew he was meant to ask for pain relief, but it took him away from the boys, from their glowing touches and warm smiles. From the sleepy mornings they had, and drowsy evenings where they curled up in a nest of all their blankets, hunched over warm mugs of cocoa. He wanted to be there for every word, every contented sigh, each whisper and every touch shared between them.

“Alex, how’s your dressing going? Does it need to be changed?”

Alex fumbled around in his blanket before releasing his arm and flailing it in the direction of John, who looked bemusedly at the hand before grabbing it from mid-air warily, unprepared for Alex to tug him to the pile on the floor.

Lafayette shared an amused glance overhead, before worming his hand through blankett to reach Alexander’s side, slowly rubbing circles into the skin surrounding the injury, his touch leaving a trail of warm numbness.

They weren’t perfect, but they were pretty damn close, thought John, tension draining out of him as he curled protectively around Alex, finally soothed to sleep as Hercules hummed a melody that trailed aimlessly across the winter’s night, floating up to the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it is done!  
> the final piece of french;  
> Lafayette : we need to learn from our mistakes
> 
> Thats it?!  
> I spent less than a week on this, but not gonna lie I'm a little sad its done already, its 1am here and Im overemotional so goodbye little hamilton, may i have the motivation to breathe my cuddley version of hamilton to life again.

**Author's Note:**

> French goes something along the lines of  
> @Gilbert du My-Name-Is-Too-Long "Little Lion, darling, you look tired."  
> @Hamilton "No No, I just need a light,"  
> @Hamilton "No No No, Stop!"
> 
> ALSO um the idea of Lafayette doing Hamilton's hair is 1000% stolen from Rise Up By  
> ohNooOOOOoo (honestly same)  
> founnnnnd at   
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/6080439


End file.
